Nobody in the music industry is as unique as Tyler Okonma, also known as Tyler, the Creator. From his one-of-a-kind personality to creative style, Tyler is always redefining the limits of art, whether it be visually or auditory. Starting with the release of his debut album Bastard 2009, Tyler had been putting out new music every other year, until 2023, where no project was announced. Fans were left clamoring for more of his distinctive songwriting, still riding off of the hype created by Call Me If You Get Lost, which was Tyler’s most recently produced album at the time. Quickly selling over one million copies and being Grammy-nominated, the bar was set, and Tyler, the Creator’s fans patiently awaited the release of whatever project he was working on, hoping he would deliver yet another spectacular collection of songs.
And deliver he did. Despite a longer wait than normal, Tyler, the Creator’s 8th album, Chromakopia was first teased on October 16th, in a video titled “St. Chroma”. Tyler would unveil the first single in the album later that month, on the 21st. Just a week after the release of Noid, the rest of the project was published on October 28.
Although the album has only been available for a short period of time, it has taken a firm grasp on the music industry. Tyler’s unique style of music has been redefining things and pushing barriers. Simply put, there is nobody who can produce music like Tyler, the Creator does. Using a unique blend of sound, whether it be a sample or homemade beat, isolates the listener in just a small preview of Tyler’s world. For those who enjoyed tracks on hit albums IGOR and Call Me If You Get Lost, you are in luck. The silky, smooth sounds of melodic pop are as prominent as ever, most notably in songs Darling, I and Take Your Mask Off.
The features on this album are yet another aspect that makes Tyler’s sound creation so extraordinary. For example, have you ever listened to a mixtape that features Lil Wayne, GloRilla, and Sexyy Red on the SAME SONG (Sticky)?! It is very likely that we will never listen to another song with all four of these artists together (though that may be a good thing). Similar to his 2017 album Flower Boy, Chromokopia is chock-full of features, with over half of the songs including an artist in addition to Tyler.
Sophomore Hugo Calixto is no stranger to music, performing in shows across the nation as a member of the prestigious Madrigals choir.
“The album really has it all, from a serious topic like Hey Jane which is a song about a pregnancy scare to something more up beat and hype like St. Chroma” Calixto proclaimed.
Earning over 85 million first-day streams on the global Spotify chart, Chromakopia really does have it all, including a number one debut on the US Billboard 200 chart. The album surpasses its predecessor Call Me If You Get Lost as Tyler’s biggest first week sales, with roughly 300,000 album equivalent units being sold during that time frame. Tyler, the Creator is living up to his name, building a vivid world of his discography for all of us to enjoy and immerse ourselves in.
